Lee Joon Ki to film romantic Chinese movie Under the Sicily Sun

by Nancy Z on Thu, Dec 18, 2014

00

After completing his successful period drama The Joseon Gunman, Lee Joon Ki has traded guns for international romance by starring in his first romantic movie in 8 years. In Under the Sicily Sun, Lee plays a Korean student who falls in love with a Chinese girl in Shanghai. So what does he think about a transnational relationship for himself?

The name Under the Sicily Sun evokes the romantic feels from the lovely Under the Tuscan Sun that starred American actress Diane Lane, who found love in Tuscany. In Under the Sicily Sun, the love story is about Lee Joon Ki's Korean student who goes to Shanghai and falls for a Chinese girl played by Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu. Their romance will take them all the way to Sicily, Italy.

Before the movie could start, however, Taiwanese director Lin Yu-Hsien had to woo Lee Joon Ki, who was his first choice to play the romantic lead. As he recalled at the press conference for the movie recently, it wasn't easy. He said, “I went to Korea twice, and went out for drinks with him twice, and only then was I able to ‘trick’ him into doing this movie.” He added, “He’s like a boy next door, very natural and down to earth, with his own unique charm, so my determination to cast him grew as I got to know him better.”

Thankfully, Lee Joon Ki agreed to film Under the Sicily Sun. He said he was impressed by the touching story and the strong production team.

See Song Ha Yoon and Teen Top’s Changjo in the lighthearted fantasy comedy Sweden Laundry:

Lee Joon Ki was asked about his own relationship experience, and he replied, “I have very little experience in love, but if I had a girlfriend, I think it is very fortunate when two people can meet and be together.” Lee also said that he wouldn't mind a transnational or cross-cultural relationship, “So long as the two individuals are in love, neither age nor nationality would be a problem. I would accept it all.”

Under the Sicily Sun begins filming in late December and will be released in 2015.